Friday, July 20, 2012

A Police Thug And An Unlawful Killing.

About David Allen Green
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David Allen Green is legal correspondent of the New Statesman.  He is also author of the acclaimed Jack of Kent blog.


Simon Harwood. Photo: Getty
Simon Harwood was acquitted of the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson at the G20 protests. Photo: Getty
PC Simon Harwood, a thug, has today been found not guilty by a jury of the manslaughter of Ian Tomlinson, even though another jury had previously found that Tomlinson had been unlawfully killed.
The Coroner’s Inquest had previously decided as follows:
Time, place and circumstances at or in which injury was sustained:
Mr Tomlinson was on his way home from work on 1st April 2009 during the G20 demonstrations.

He was fatally injured at around 19.20 in Royal Exchange Buildings (the Passage), near to the junction with Cornhill, London EC3. This was as a result of a baton strike from behind and a push in the back by a police officer which caused Mr Tomlinson to fall heavily.

Both the baton strike and the push were excessive and unreasonable.
As a result, Mr Tomlinson suffered internal bleeding which led to his collapse within a few minutes and his subsequent death.
At the time of the strike and the push, Mr Tomlinson was walking away from the police line. He was complying with police instructions to leave Royal Exchange Buildings (the Passage). He posed no threat.
Conclusion of the jury as to the death:
Unlawful killing..  read more

 http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/david-allen-green/2012/07/police-thug-and-unlawful-killing